On Monday 24 Dec 2001 4:39 am, Betty B wrote:
> In a message dated 12/23/2001 7:18:43 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>
> [log in to unmask] writes:
> > Sorry for the lecture. I did not mean to run on like this.
>
> They were thought provoking comments.  You reminded me of a hearing
> guy I knew at Gallaudet.  He was from Philly, and was the son of
> deaf parents and siblings.  He wasn't always at the school, but
> because he lived so close, he would come down for certain events.
> He was the only one in his family who was hearing, as I recall.  He
> signed better than a few deaf people I know.
>
> This is funny to me.  The first time I met him, I didn't even know
> he was hearing until the end of the conversation.  He signed so
> well that I automatically assumed he was deaf, so I signed the
> whole time.  He must have assumed that I was deaf too since I was
> only signing.  That happens at times at Gallaudet because there are
> a number of hearing people on campus for various reasons, but one
> or the other person usually discovers that there has been a mutual
> case of "mistaken identity" long before the end of the
> conversation.
>
> He was totally assimilated into deaf culture, but seemed to feel
> comfortable in the company of hearing people too.  I thought that
> was pretty cool since his whole family was deaf.  Maybe that's
> routine for hearing children of deaf parents.  I only knew this
> guy, but if it's true generally, that would certainly be consistant
> with the findings about ab kids of pwds.
>
> I mention this because some aspects of deaf culture are ball games
> unto themselves.  Hearing children of deaf parents are often the
> interpreters of the family.  I'm thinking of the many kinds of
> situations in which these children might find themselves placed,
> and how they might be impacted by their level of responsibility in
> the family.
>
> Betty

Me & Lin were very conscious of these problems when the kids were
young, not wanting to make them into "carers", but I figure we may
have gone a bit too far, 'cos its difficult to get them to do any
chores at all now!!

Cheers

Deri